Sofa bed construction



June 27, 1961 A. MANCUSO 2,989,759

SOFA BED CONSTRUCTION Filed May 8, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet i twin/rah. ANTHONY MAucuso 71% Mm ATTOIZHEYfi June 27, 1961 A. MANCUSO som BED CONSTRUCTION 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 8, 1959 INVEN TOR. ANTHONY MAMC ATTORNEY-5 June 27, 1961 A. MANCUSO SOFA BED CONSTRUCTION 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 8, 1959 ANTHONY Mpxucuso.

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 2,989,759 SOFA BED CONSTRUCTION Anthony Mancuso, 232 Kearny Ave., Perth Amboy, NJ. Filed May 8, 1959, Ser. No. 812,052 3 Claims. (C1. -55) The present invention relates to a sofa bed construction generally and in particular to a latch means for holding the spring assembly of a sofa bed in the nested position.

Presently in use are sofa beds each of which has a bed spring assembly movable between a nested position and a bed position. A bed spring assembly of such a sofa bed is relatively heavy and, positioned in a box frame below a seat portion of the sofa bed, such bed spring assembly is difficult to shift from the nested position to the bed position substantially at the same level as the seat portion of the sofa bed. Various lever and link assemblies have been proposed which are intended to enable a person to easily lift such a bed spring assembly out of the box frame of a sofa bed. Such levers and link assemblies are not wholly successful and generally have not met with wide acceptance in the furniture industry.

An object of the present invention is to provide, in a sofa bed construction, means for holding a bed spring assembly in the nested position and upon release of same to initiate the movement of the bed spring assembly from the nested position to a bed position at a level substantially the same as the seat portion of the sofa bed.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a latch means for holding the spring assembly of the sofa bed in the nested position, the latch means being operable from a position exteriorly of the sofa bed.

A further object of the present invention is to provide, in a sofa bed construction, means for urging the bed spring assembly of the sofa bed to a position upwardly and outwardly of the box frame of the sofa bed when released.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide, in a sofa bed construction, a latch means for holding the bed spring assembly in the nested position which is simple in structure, one sturdily constructed and having long-life characteristics, one which may be economically manufactured and assembled, one which lends itself to incorporation in most sofa bed constructions, and one which is highly effective in action.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be fully apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an isometric view of the sofa bed, the dotted line indicating the installation of the latch means of the present invention;

'FIGURE 2 is a view on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a view on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 33 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a view taken on the line 4-4 of FIG- URE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a view taken on the line 5-5 of FIG- URE 4; and

FIGURE 6 is an exploded isometric view of the latch means of the present invention, shown removed from the sofa bed and with a portion of the actuator broken away.

Referring in greater detail to the drawings in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, the reference numeral 10 in FIGURES l and 2 designates generally a sofa bed having a seat portion 12 supported on a box frame 14. Within the box frame 14 is a bed spring assembly 16 normally in nested posi- Patented June 27, 1961 tion and housed in the part of the box frame 14 beneath the seat portion 12.

The bed spring assembly 16 includes a folded mattress 18, shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 2, and an articulated bed frame 20 having levers and link members 22, 24, and 26, connecting the frame 20 for movement from the nested position within the box frame 14 to a position above and out of the box frame 14 and at a level substantially equal to the seat portion 12 of the sofa bed 10. This bed position is indicated in FIGURE 2 by dotted lines at 16'. The particular construction of the levers and link members 22, 24, and 26 which secure the assembly 16 in the box frame 14 for its movement from the nested position to the bed position is not further detailed here as not being a part of the present invention, such mechanism being conventional and being in many forms, to each of which the latch means of the present invention is applicable.

The present invention provides, with the sofa bed 10 as above described, a relasing and initiating means which is operatively connected to the bed spring assembly 16 and releasably holds the bed spring assembly 16 in the nested position within the box frame 14 and which is actuable exteriorly of the box frame 14, said means upon actuation in turn releasing the bed spring assembly 16 and initiating the movement of the bed spring assembly 16 from the nested position to the bed position at a level substantially equal to the level of the seat portion 12, as indicated in dotted lines in FIGURE 2 and designated by the numeral 16'.

Such means includes an expandable and compressible member in the form of a coil spring 28, arranged vertically and operatively connected to a vertically disposed plunger 30.

The means also includes an actuator 32 normally operatively engaging the plunger 30 and the bed spring assembly 16 and holding the spring 28 in compressed condition and upon application of a force to the portion of the actuator 32 exteriorly of the box frame 14 to release engagement of the spring 28 and assembly 16 and permit the initiation of movement of the bed spring assembly 16 from the nested position to a bed position under the action of the expansion of the spring 28.

The means also includes an upstanding U-shaped element 34 having a base section 36 and a cover section 38. The legs of the base section 36 are provided with cutaway portions 40 and 42 which provide a slideway for the adjacent part of the actuator 32. The bight 44 of the U-shaped element 34 has a bore 46 extending vertically therethrough through which projects the plunger 30. A horizontally disposed support plate 48 is dependingly supported on the lower ends of studs 5%) which project from the lower end of the U-shaped element 34. One end of the coil spring 28 bears against the upper face of the plate 48 and the other end of the coil spring 28 bears against a collar 53. (FIGURE 5) secured to an intermediate portion of the plunger 30.

Studs 52 and nuts 54 threaded thereon are employed to secure the coved section 38 to the base section 36 of the U-shaped element 34, closing the adjacent face of the slideway formed by the cutout portions 40 and 42.

In FIGURES 3 to 5, it will be seen that a bar member 56 projects from the bed spring assembly 16 and normally rests upon the bight 44 of the U-shaped element 34. The actuator 32 is formed with a shoulder 58 which overlies the upper face of the bar member 56 when the bar member 56 is in the position resting upon the bight 44. The engagement of the shoulder 58 with the upper face of the bar member 56 holds the spring 28 in compressed condition with the plunger 30 depressed in the bore 46 and bearing against the underface of the bar member 56.

The spring 28 constitutes spring means operatively connected to the bed spring assembly 16 urging the latter to the bed position from the nested position.

A coil spring 60 has one end anchored in a hole 62 provided in a depending lug 64 carried on the portion of the actuator 32 inwardly of the shoulder 58. The other end of of the spring 60 is circumposed about the adjacent one of the studs 50, as shown in FIGURE 4. The coil spring 60 constitutes Spring means operatively connected to the actuator 32 urging the actuator 32 into the position in which the shoulder 58 engages the upper face of the bar member 56.

Suitable means is employed for supporting the U- shaped element 34 on the box frame 14. A preferred fastening means consists in the studs 52 which also secure the cover section 38 to the base section 36 of the element 34.

The end of the actuator 32 remote from the shoulder 58 passes through a slot 66 provided in an L-shaped bracket 68 which has one leg adapted to be secured on an undersurface of a part of the box frame 14 adjacent one end of the sofa bed 10. The free end of the actuator 32 has a roller 70 rotatably mounted upon a stud 72 projecting from one side of the actuator 32 adjacent the end. An L-shaped member 74 provided with a slot 76 in one leg 78 thereof slidably receives in the slot 76 the adjacent part of the actuator 32. The other leg 80 of the member 74 is horizontally disposed, as in full lines in FIGURE 4.

In use, the bracket 68 is secured to the underside of the box frame 14 adjacent one end of the sofa bed 10, and the U-shaped element 34 is secured to a forward part of the frame 14, employing the studs 50, or other means for securing the element 34 to the frame 14. The bar member 56 is secured by suitable nut and bolt assembly 83 (FIGURE 3) to an adjacent part of the frame 20 of the bed spring assembly 16 in the position of which the projecting end portion of the bar member 56 rests upon the bight 44 of the U-shaped member 34 when the bed spring assembly 16 is in the nested condition within the box frame 14.

Manual pressure is employed to force the adjacent part of the frame 20 downwardly so that the bar member 56 engages the upper end of the plunger 30 and depresses the same, compressing the spring 28 and permitting the actuator 32 to shift to the position in which the shoulder 58 overlies and engages the upper face of the bar member 56, holding the same in the position resting on the bight 44 against the action of the spring 28.

Upon the application of a downwardly applied force to the leg 80 of the L-shaped member 74, the member 74 tilts from the full line position shown in FIGURE 4 to the position in which the leg 80 is in a downwardly sloping position and the leg 78 of the member 74 is shifted outwardly from the full line position to the dotted line position in which, by its engagement with the roller 70, it has effected the outward sliding movement of the actuator 32 and release of the shoulder 58 from the upper face of the bar member 56.

When released, the bar member 56 is forced upwardly under the action of the spring 28. This upward movement of the bar member 56 carries with it the adjacent part of the frame 20, enabling an individual to continue the lifting action of the frame 20 from the nested position to the bed position of the bed spring assembly 16. Upon shifting of the assembly 16 from the bed position to the nested position, the bar member 56 again engages the upper end of the plunger 30 and, with a manually applied force to the frame 20, the plunger 30 is again depressed and the spring 28 compressed. The spring 60 urges the actuator 32 to the position in which the shoulder 58 overlies the upper face of the bar member 56. The upper face of the adjacent part of the actuator 32 is provided with a cam face as at 82 in FIGURE 4 which is engaged by the underface of the bar member 56 in the course of its downward movement, shifting the 4, actuator 32 outwardly of the bight 44 and permitting passage of the bar member 56 into the position resting upon the bight 44.

What is claimed is:

1. In a sofa bed, including a box frame having a seat portion, and a bed spring assembly normally in nested position and housed within the part of the frame beneath said seat portion and connected to said frame for movement from the nested position to a bed position above said frame part and at a level substantially the same as said seat portion, the improvement consisting of a releasing and initiating means which is operatively connected to said bed spring assembly and releasably holds said bed spring assembly in the nested position and which is actuable exteriorly of said box frame, said means upon actuation in turn releasing said bed spring assembly and initiating the movement of said bed spring assembly from the nested position to the bed position, said means including an upstanding U-shaped element positioned adjacent to and below said bed spring assembly and fixedly secured to said box frame, an expandable and compressible spring means dependingly carried by the bight of said U-shaped element, a bar member projecting from said bed spring assembly and normally within the bight of said U-shaped element and compressing said spring means when said bed spring assembly is in the nested position, and an actuator slidably mounted in the legs of said U-shaped element and normally engaging the upper face of said bar member and operable upon the application of a force thereto to release engagement with said bar member and permit movement of said bed spring assembly from the normal nested position to said bed position.

2. In a sofa bed, including a box frame having a seat portion, and a bed spring assembly normally in nested position and housed within the part of the frame beneath said seat portion and connected to said frame for movement from the nested position to a bed position above said frame part and at a level substantially the same as said seat portion, the improvement consisting of a releasing and initiating means which is operatively connected to said bed spring assembly and releasably holds said bed spring assembly in the nested position and which is actuable exteriorly of said box frame, said means upon actuation in turn releasing said bed spring assembly and initiating the movement of said bed spring assembly from the nested position to the bed position, said means including an upstanding U-shaped element positioned adjacent to and below said bed spring assembly and fixedly secured to said box frame, an expandable and compressible spring means dependingly carried by the bight of said U-shaped element, a bar member projecting from said bed spring assembly and normally within the bight of said U-shaped element and compressing said spring means when said bed spring assembly is in the nested position, and an actuator slidably mounted in the legs of said U-shaped element and normally engaging the upper face of said bar member and operable upon the application of a force thereto to release engagement with said bar member and permit movement of said bed spring assembly from the normal nested position to said bed position, and spring means operatively connected to said actuator urging the latter into engagement with the upper face of said bar member.

3. In a sofa bed, including a box frame having a seat portion, and a bed spring assembly normally in nested position and housed within the part of the frame beneath said seat portion and connected to said frame for move ment from the nested position to a bed position above said frame part and at a level substantially the same as said seat portion, the improvement consisting of a releasing and initiating means which is operatively connected to said bed spring assembly and releasably holds said bed spring assembly in the nested position and which is actuable exteriorly of said box frame, said means upon actuation in turn releasing said bed spring assembly and initiating the movement of said bed spring assembly from the nested position to the bed position, said means including an upstanding U-shaped element positioned adjacent to and below said bed spring assembly and fixedly secured to said box frame, a bar member projecting from said bed spring assembly and normally resting onthe bight of said U-shaped element, an actuator slidably mounted in the legs of said U-shaped element and normally engaging the upper face of said bar member and operable upon the application of a force to the portion of said actuator exteriorly of said box frame to release engagement with said bar member and permit movement of said bed spring assembly from the normal nested position to said bed position, and spring means 6 embodying a vertically disposed spring-biased plunger slidably mounted in the bight of said U-shaped element and having the upper end bearing against the lower face of said bar member urging the latter from the position resting on said bight.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 652,744 Carman July 3, 1900 1,025,745 Jetfcott May 7, 1912 1,268,099 Davis June 4, 1918 1,270,384 Davis June 25, 1918 1,359,027 Bryld NOV. 16, 1920 

